The Fall Of Eblan
by xXGageXx
Summary: Final Fantasy 4 short story about the last hours before Eblan fell.


**The Last Days Of Eblan**

The halls of the castle, grim and beaten, echoed with the fierce war cry of the young prince as he thrust both katanas in the air, leading his small band headlong into the rampaging ogres. The beasts turned their heads slowly towards the noise, not intimidated in the least bit. With a cry of their own, they slowly but powerfully stomped to meet the rushing ninjas, brandishing their war clubs. Their massive frames blocked out what little light was shining through the cracks and gashes in the wall, the lesson the people of Eblan had learned at a very high cost due to the Red Wings.

Edge flitted past the bodies of many of his fallen warriors, killed in the weeks of wave after wave of the advancing Baronian army. Many more bodies, of Baronian soldiers and ogres alike, laid strewn throughout the castle, filling it with the stench of death and rot. Jumping as high as he dared, he extended a foot out as his body sailed through the air.

Almost as he reached his target, a bloodstained creature wearing the decaying heads of his fallen enemies, a great wall of smoke erupted, the doing of one of Edge's men.

"For Eblan!" Edge screamed as he connected with the Ogre's chest, the wall of smoke keeping the ogre from reacting with any coordination. With a quick push of his legs, the prince dove upwards, managing to slice the side of his opponent. The blade didn't cut too deep, however; cutting into the creature's skin was much like slicing into an old oak tree. Edge smiled as he came back down, the ogre's club flailing wildly. The blades sunk deep into the eye sockets of the beast, Edge kicking off of his head before it collapsed to the ground.

Sounds of battle filled the misty hallway. Edge's keen eyesight allowed him to see the ogres retreating from the smoke; they had seen what the ninjas could do behind their veils.

"You'll never take Eblan!" Edge screamed as he stalked though the smoke, concentrating for when they had broken through it..

Edge ducked under a swift blow from one of the ogres, the club finding it's mark on one of the ninjas pushing them back towards the gaping hole in the wall the Red Wings had made. Edge could tell by the sound of the man's cry that is was Kami, a younger warrior who hadn't the experience required to fend off these beasts.

_Fool_, Edge thought as he heard the sickening thud coupled with the snapping of bones. Kami would never lift a blade again.

A spear whizzed by Edge's head, sticking into the chest of the ogre. While it had barely stuck into him, it had given it's wielder the opportunity he had hoped for as the ogre grabbed it. A bright flash illuminated the hall, scorching the eyes of the ogre. As it thrashed around, bellowing in pain, Edge and the others darted past; careful to avoid it's random swings.

Once they had exited the smoke, Edge counted four of the monstrosities left, frothing at their mouths in anger. Edge halted for a split second. His mind released, and a frigid air blew through the hall as a streak of ice caught the hand of the nearest ogre, freezing it to the wall. An older ninja, Rai, slung his katana at the other arm of the beast as it swung at the ice. The sword pierced the less-hardened skin in the crease of the elbow, causing the beast's arm to shoot back in agony. As the ogre threw it's head back and let out a painful cry, Edge jumped forth and thrust both blades towards the beast's throat. Straining the muscles of his upper body to the limit, he managed to jab the blades into the windpipe.

A shadow fell over him as a club came swiftly at him. Another katana struck it in mid-air, giving Edge the split second he needed duck down, leaving the blades in their target. The young prince rolled, grabbing a blade from the ground where it lay beside one of the his long-dead subjects. As he came to his feet, what appeared to be six men rushed past him. The magic of the ninjas allowed them cast images of themselves, and the prince's keen perception allowed him to see the true forms of the two warriors as the rushed one of the ogres.

Swinging wildly, the ogre's club fell down on one of the men, his images blinking out of existence as the man's body collapsed under it. Edge stopped for a moment, seeing the paintings of his forefathers crumpled and torn on the floor. Rage engulfed him as he charged forward once again.

The remaining ogres must have known they were bested, for they turned and fled from the advancing ninjas. Edge and what was left of his men, with the exception of two who turned to dispatch the blinded ogre, gave chase all the way to the opening in the wall. Edge peered outside and watched as they made haste towards the woods, a hail of arrows covering their retreat.

"Run, you cowards," the prince yelled as he pulled down the cloth from around his mouth, "And tell the rest of your numbers of the might of Eblan!"

"Your highness," one of the ninjas, Deijan, said, "I can hear the drone of the Red Wings! We must fall back!"

"Let them come," Edge replied, turning to Deijan as he wiped the green blood from the blade he had picked up. When he looked back out the opening, he could see the airships advancing in the distance.

"Move to the inner chambers," Edge said, "We'll return once the bombardment halts."

XxXxXxXx

"We can't hold," King Aji said as he slammed his fist down on the table. "I want everyone to head to the caves, then seal the entrance."

Everyone in the small chamber stared at him silently, the dull explosions echoing even down into the depths of the castle. Queen Vie Lai stood firmly beside her husband, a concerned look coming to her face.

The room might not have been as elaborate as the war chamber up in the higher levels of the castle, but it sufficed. A barrel of water had been brought in, along with what little bit of the food the king could bare to bring in from what scant supplies they still had. The meager accommodations were fit for what little war council the kingdom could muster, though; the king and queen along with their only son, Edge, Chamberlain Kai, and the Eblan's only remaining general Taj.

"No!" Edge said as he pushed off the wall from where he leaned, "Eblan cannot fall into the hands of Baron! With all of our might we must defend the castle!"

"Might?" the king said with weariness in his voice, "What good will the might of Eblan do, crushed under the rubble of the battered ruins of this castle? You have always been prideful, my son, but now is not the time. All of the women and children have already headed for the caves. They are the true future of this kingdom, and they will need men to defend them."

"But if we can defeat the ogres..." Edge said, only to be cut off by his father.

"But what!?" King Aji yelled vehemently, "Will we also fend off Baron's men? And what of the imps? And the Red Wings? No! We must retreat in order to fight again another day. It is the only solution."

"Aid will come," Edge continued, "We just have to hold out!"

"Ha!" Taj exclaimed, a smile coming to his face, "And just who will come? The armies of the west have already fallen, and Troia is only concerned with retrieving the last crystal. So who then will come? Mithril? Agart? Pfft."

"We are the last bastion against the Baronian onslaught," the queen said, giving Edge a stern look as the table rattled from the explosions, "And we cannot fight against the hordes of Baron. It is for the best that we flee this place. Kai, give the orders to everyone in the castle to make their way to the hidden passage."

"Yes, my queen," Kai, once a valiant warrior and general to Aji's father, said. Before Edge could even retort, the old man had exited the room.

"This is madness!" Edge screamed, stepping closer to his father. A swift slap from his mother made him step back, his anger giving way to humility.

"This is no way for the prince of Eblan to act!" Vie Lai said, "If you wish the respect deserving of a prince than you should begin to act like one! Now go, you and Taj help Kai! I fear the next attack will be close behind this aerial assault!"

"Yes, your highness," Taj said as he bowed, then exited the room. Edge was slow to follow, touching his cheek more out of hurt pride than pain. With a grim look, he turned from his parents and exited the room."

"He has his father's spirit," the queen said once he had left the room.

"Yes," the king said with a sigh, "But sadly he has not the experience and wisdom yet to rule in my stead."

"We still have time before we have to worry about that," the queen said as she laid a hand on her husband's shoulder.

XxXxXxXx

"Swiftly now!" General Taj yelled as he led the last remaining soldiers down into the bowels of Eblan Castle. The footsteps of the Baronians could be heard down in the deeps now. Once they had reached the end of that barren hall leading to the tombs of the kings he threw the door open, the royal family along with Taj and Kai awaiting him.

"Come quickly!" the king said as the men ran past him, "It sounds as if they're almost..."

The king froze as he was a throng of men, Dragoons no less, charging through the hall.

"My lord!" one of the ninjas yelled as he drew his katanas and jumped back out of the passage, the rest of the soldiers, perhaps a dozen, doing the same.

"No!" the king yelled, "Into the pass now! I command it!"

"But..." the soldier said.

"Now!" King Aji bellowed.

The men hesitated, but finally complied with the kings orders. Edge and Taj jumped to Aji's side, followed by the queen as she unsheathed her blades.

"Flee Kai, you will be needed!" the king said. Kai cast him a knowing glance and turned quickly and ran far into the passage, then turned back to stare at them.

"Come on!" Edge screamed, swinging his blades in the air.

"Edge," King Aji said as he gripped his son's shoulders with a look of sadness, "Know that your mother and I love you."

Before Edge could reply, Aji pulled away and let loose a blast of icy air, knocking Edge back into the passage.

"No!" Edge cried as he jumped to his feet. Kai gripped him with firm hands, trying his best to subdue him. Taj raised his hands and explosion rocked the tombs, boulders and rocks falling from the ceiling, just at the passage had been designed to do. Edge thought he heard his mother say "I love you" before the passage was completely sealed.

"Come, we haven't much time!" Kai yelled as entire passage began to give way. Edge allowed one more tearful glance before turning to follow Kai.

"Feel the cool steel of my blades!" Taj said as the dragoons surrounded them, placing himself between them and the king and queen. Strangely though, the dragoons stood there, their lances poised and ready, but they made no movement. Aji began to wonder what was going on until a bright flash illuminated the tomb.

"Rubicant!" Vie Lai hissed.

"You have fought bravely," the fiery demon said, opening his cape to reveal his athletic body. His face was hidden behind a mask of hellfire.

"And we shall to the very end!" Taj said as he lunged at the demon. Rubicant let forth a blast of fire, knocking the general against the wall. Some of the dragoons moved forward, only to be blown back by the flames of Rubicant.

"No!" Rubicant said, "There is no honor in such odds. General Taj, perhaps one of the best warriors in all the world, it is my honor to clash swords with you."

Taj let out a loud cry as he lunged forth, dodging yet another gust of fire. Aji sprung off of Taj's back, leaping over the flames delivering a swift kick to Rubicant's face. Vie Lai let loose a hail of shurikens, each melting in the fire surrounding Rubicant.

Smoke surrounded them as Taj came up from behind the demon, stabbing his katana into his back. Rubicant cried out, flames erupting outward from him. Taj recoiled as Rubicant turned, jabbing a fiery sword into his stomach.

"Let not your rage control your actions in battle," Rubicant said as Taj fell to the ground. Another sword then found it's way into Rubicant's arm. It felt as cold as the northern lands now known in only fables to the humans. Rubicant jumped back and gripped his arm, the aura of fire around it extinguished.

"Havan, the sword of the north!" Rubicant said in disbelief as the queen leapt at him from the side. She managed to kick Rubicant's blade away and began delivering a flurry of blows that the demon barely managed to fend off. A swift kick from Rubicant sent her sword flying as well, and the two then engaged in hand to hand combat.

Vie Lai threw out a swift kick, landing it on Rubicant's throat. He fell back, countering each move the queen threw at him. His ears picked up the wind moving around him, and just as Vie Lai stepped forward Rubicant moved, the sword meant for his back instead finding it's way into her chest.

"Vie Lai!" Aji yelled as he pulled the sword from her and took her in his arms. All the Queen could do was gasp as the blood began to trickle from her mouth.

"A valiant effort," Rubicant said as he stood beside them, "You would have served me well. I respect you honor, so die with dignity!"

Rubicant turned the king around and stabbed a small dagger into his chest. As the king dropped to his knees, Rubicant cast him a remorseful gaze.

_Such gallant fighters. What a wonder it would have been to fight alongside of them._


End file.
